Solar panels are supposed to have got cheaper, I can't find any

[Chris Green]

I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each. Admittedly that was quite a bargain back then but it
wasn't a totally ridiculous price.

I've been thinking of replacing them with panels that can generate a
bit more power and/or are flexible so can be mounted directly on the
slightly curved roof of the boat.

The existing panels are about 1.6 metres by 1 metre.

I can't find anything suitable anywhere. Very few places seem to
actually sell 'full sized' panels, nearly all of what I can find are
small panels and often have direct to 12v battery connections. I just
want bare panels, I have all the charging electronics already.

Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

[The Nomad]

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each. Admittedly that was quite a bargain back then but it wasn't
a totally ridiculous price.
I've been thinking of replacing them with panels that can generate a bit
more power and/or are flexible so can be mounted directly on the
slightly curved roof of the boat.
The existing panels are about 1.6 metres by 1 metre.
I can't find anything suitable anywhere. Very few places seem to
actually sell 'full sized' panels, nearly all of what I can find are
small panels and often have direct to 12v battery connections. I just
want bare panels, I have all the charging electronics already.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Chris,

Have a look at <www.craigsolar.co.uk>

HTH

Avpx

[Chris Green]

Post by The Nomad

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each. Admittedly that was quite a bargain back then but it wasn't
a totally ridiculous price.
I've been thinking of replacing them with panels that can generate a bit
more power and/or are flexible so can be mounted directly on the
slightly curved roof of the boat.
The existing panels are about 1.6 metres by 1 metre.
I can't find anything suitable anywhere. Very few places seem to
actually sell 'full sized' panels, nearly all of what I can find are
small panels and often have direct to 12v battery connections. I just
want bare panels, I have all the charging electronics already.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Chris,
Have a look at <www.craigsolar.co.uk>

Thanks, but they aren't **any** cheaper than the ones I bought 14
years ago. E.g. a 230 watt panel is £159.

[fred]

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each. Admittedly that was quite a bargain back then but it
wasn't a totally ridiculous price.
I've been thinking of replacing them with panels that can generate a
bit more power and/or are flexible so can be mounted directly on the
slightly curved roof of the boat.

No idea on sources, sorry.

Friends in the know with campervans have returned to box framed panels from
profile forming ones as they feel they are more reliable due to better
ventilation/heat management despite the neater appearance.

[Chris Green]

Post by fred

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each. Admittedly that was quite a bargain back then but it
wasn't a totally ridiculous price.
I've been thinking of replacing them with panels that can generate a
bit more power and/or are flexible so can be mounted directly on the
slightly curved roof of the boat.

No idea on sources, sorry.
Friends in the know with campervans have returned to box framed panels from
profile forming ones as they feel they are more reliable due to better
ventilation/heat management despite the neater appearance.

Yes, that's what my existing 230 watt panels are, i.e. they're the
sort of panels that are used on houses. It does seem that this sort
of panel is likely to be longer lasting, it's just that I fancied
something 'neater' than the existing installation on studding stalks.
The ultimate would be panels I can (occasionally) walk on because the
existing ones do make it difficult to get at some parts of the boat
for cleaning, maintenance, etc.

[Andy Burns]

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price

<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

[Chris Green]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

[Jethro_uk]

Post by Chris Green

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011
for £100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are
available now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

The fact Google couldn't find that for you is/should be worrying ...

[Chris Green]

Post by Jethro_uk

Post by Chris Green

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011
for £100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are
available now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

The fact Google couldn't find that for you is/should be worrying ...

I did look quite hard in my 'shopping' sites:-

Google Shopping
eBay
Amazon

[Paul]

Post by Jethro_uk

Post by Chris Green

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011
for £100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are
available now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

The fact Google couldn't find that for you is/should be worrying ...

The Google search is now AI powered. The results are sorted
according to who pays Google to appear first in the list.
The reason Reddit postings appear so often in the Google
result, is Reddit is paying Google for the priority.

The last few days, I've gone through 15 pages of Google results
in a single search, and 90% of the links are advertising links,
and with a fair share of empty Reddit threads.

On the plus side, the AI is very resistant to SEO. It is not
tricked by infinitely deep web sites full of tags for example.

But on the other side of the coin, the search is perfectly useless.

Welcome to hell.

Paul

[Andy Burns]

Post by Paul
The Google search is now AI powered. The results are sorted
according to who pays Google to appear first in the list.

In private browsing mode with cleared cookies, I searched for "cheap
solar panels" the first sponsored results are from system installers
rather than panel wholesalers, then it runs into a mixed bag of search
results, varying from a bit worse to a lot worse than the examples
provided here, then lower on the first page you get these for £36+VAT

<https://www.solartradesales.co.uk/astronergy-n5s-n-type-monofacial-solar-panel-485w-black-frame>

[alan_m]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Paul
The Google search is now AI powered. The results are sorted
according to who pays Google to appear first in the list.

In private browsing mode with cleared cookies, I searched for "cheap
solar panels" the first sponsored results are from system installers
rather than panel wholesalers, then it runs into a mixed bag of search
results, varying from a bit worse to a lot worse than the examples
provided here, then lower on the first page you get these for £36+VAT
<https://www.solartradesales.co.uk/astronergy-n5s-n-type-monofacial-
solar-panel-485w-black-frame>

I've found that often these days I have include "for Sale" or "sales"
or "supplier" in the search key words to avoid what Google throws up as
the "best" match. It also seems to help adding UK to the search key
words if wanting to find a UK supplier.

[Chris Green]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Paul
The Google search is now AI powered. The results are sorted
according to who pays Google to appear first in the list.

In private browsing mode with cleared cookies, I searched for "cheap
solar panels" the first sponsored results are from system installers
rather than panel wholesalers, then it runs into a mixed bag of search
results, varying from a bit worse to a lot worse than the examples
provided here, then lower on the first page you get these for £36+VAT
<https://www.solartradesales.co.uk/astronergy-n5s-n-type-monofacial-solar-panel-485w-black-frame>

OP here, thank you, they're in Ipswich just down the road from me so
very handy!

[Theo]

Post by Chris Green

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

Also:
https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/c/product/renewables/solar-pv/solar-pv-panels/c/1870007/

(they have national branches, so you may be able to collect rather than pay
delivery)

There's also a kit builder, if you want them to spec mounting rails and
brackets for you as well:
https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/content/solar-pv-kit-builder

Theo

[tony sayer]

In article <512l4l-***@q957.zbmc.eu>, Chris Green <***@isbd.net>
scribeth thus

Post by Chris Green

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
I have three 235 watt solar panels on my boat, bought back in 2011 for
£100 each.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Nearly twice the power at nearly half the price
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko>

Now that's more like it! :-) Thank you.

They sometimes have "damaged" ones like a bit of paint chipped of or a
small dent on the framework and the like.

Got a couple of them, work very well:)..

[Alan Lee]

Post by Chris Green
The existing panels are about 1.6 metres by 1 metre.
I can't find anything suitable anywhere. Very few places seem to
actually sell 'full sized' panels, nearly all of what I can find are
small panels and often have direct to 12v battery connections. I just
want bare panels, I have all the charging electronics already.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

Is £48 about right:
<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko/jinko-54c-415w-n-ab>

You need to register with them to get that price. You'll struggle
getting an exact size match.
They also have panels with slight damage at £25+vat.

[Chris Green]

Post by Alan Lee

Post by Chris Green
The existing panels are about 1.6 metres by 1 metre.
I can't find anything suitable anywhere. Very few places seem to
actually sell 'full sized' panels, nearly all of what I can find are
small panels and often have direct to 12v battery connections. I just
want bare panels, I have all the charging electronics already.
Where can I get these supposedly 80% cheaper panels that are available
now???

<https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/jinko/jinko-54c-415w-n-ab>
You need to register with them to get that price. You'll struggle
getting an exact size match.
They also have panels with slight damage at £25+vat.

Exact size match isn't important, thanks for this link, 'slight
damage' panels at £25 sound good to me.